The Crushed Hearts
by Autumn Leaf Ninja
Summary: When a cynical tom is forced to have a younger she-cat he doesn't love for his mate, he takes the worst actions possible to ensure that it never happens.


The awful feeling in my chest would never go away, I knew. After all, I will be stuck with Poppypaw the moment she becomes a warrior. She is not the cat I'm in love with, and not the cat that I want to spend the rest of my life with. Yet I have no say in this. Our warrior code makes it clear that every cat's mate is chosen by their parents once they are a warrior.

Unfortunately for me, the cat I love is older than me and had already been given her mate, Poppypaw's brother, Nightpaw. Those two had been kitted several moons before my warrior ceremony, and I was unfortunate enough to be promised to Poppypaw.

Starting from the simpler facts makes more sense to me, and so it shall be. My name is Ravenheart, and I am a warrior of RowanClan. I am known for my harsh appearance, which draws others away from me. My black fur is always matted and tangled, and my face is covered in battle scars even though I am still only a young tom. I cannot stop my brown eyes from glaring at others because I don't ever realize that I am glaring at them until I hear others talking about me.

Anyway, I've been in love with Fernfrost since I was just nine moons old. That was around the time she received her warrior name. I love how kind-hearted and friendly she is, and how eager she is to help others. Before my warrior ceremony, which was a moon after the battle that left scars across my face, I confessed my love to her. I was softly rejected with a shake of her head and the light words she spoke. "I'm so sorry," she had said. After the ceremony, my mother informed me that she and my father had chosen Poppypaw as my future mate. Seeing the way Fernfrost became attached to Nightpaw less than a quarter-moon after I had heard the news, I figured that she was informed of her parents' choice for her then as well.

As of now, I am bitter and spiteful. I don't love Poppypaw, and I will never allow myself to. She, however, hearing that I will be her mate by her parents around when I found out, does not leave me alone. She's such an optimistic, enthusiastic and eager pest that I can't stand her. She follows me around wherever I go. I complained to my mother that her choice is the most annoying she-cat that she could possibly have selected for me, but she reprimanded me for this and told me that I should be grateful that I have such a wonderful and enthusiastic she-cat as a future mate.

_I was already _miserable after I was rejected by Fernfrost, and having Poppypaw for my future mate only makes things worse. Every cat tells me that she's nice, and maybe she is, but I just _don't_ favor her over Fernfrost. I can't, and I won't.

How is Fernfrost so happy with Nightpaw? Why am I so discontent with Poppypaw? Poppypaw and Nightpaw _are_ very similar, after all. They have identical thick, black fur and bright green eyes, and they seem so optimistic and content with their lives. Perhaps it's because Fernfrost is somewhat similar in personality and disposition to Nightpaw, but I am nothing like Poppypaw.

As a cynic, I see nothing great in my own future. After all, isn't death the end of every cat's life in their Clan? I've been very depressed, and it is my own fault, since I am so negative about everything. I've pondered whether StarClan would accept me after my death if I ate something dangerous from the medicine cat den to cause it myself, but I doubt they would, so I remain in my current state.

I woke on this warm green-leaf morning to the sounds of my Clan-mates snoring. I assumed it was before dawn, since most of my Clan-mates were already asleep. I silently maneuvered my way out of the den and blinked to adjust my eyes to the dim sunlight. Seeing that was correct and it _was_ before dawn, I picked a piece of left-over prey from the fresh-kill pile and settled down to eat it.

Today was the day of Poppypaw's warrior assessment, and I was definitely not looking forward to it. If she were to succeed and have her warrior ceremony, then by the end of the day, I would have a mate that I do not love. This is unacceptable. I don't want this for myself. I contemplated what I would or could do to prevent the future I dread as I chewed on a mouthful of mouse. I don't want to waste my own life, so I can't cut it short… I have to think of a way to end this problem. It occurred to me quickly in a thought that made my own heart jump. The only way for me to be certain that I will be left alone in the future… is to make sure that she never becomes a warrior.

After I had finished eating my mouse, I buried the remains and waited silently for my Clan-mates to wake. Soon every cat was up and about, and our deputy organized the daily patrols. I was glad to hear that I was on a hunting patrol that was later in the day and had nothing important to do this morning, during Poppypaw's warrior assessment. Her mentor, Frostflower, led her out of camp, and I slowly and silently padded after them. I doubted anyone would notice me leave or care, anyway.

I followed Frostflower's white pelt from a distance and kept quiet. They could not know that I was following them. They came to an abrupt halt at a clearing, and I watched them from the trees, hidden by the dim light of dawn, the shadow of the trees, and my thick black pelt. Frostflower told Poppypaw that she would have to hunt in a thicker part of the woods. Once Poppypaw set off, I kept my eyes on Frostflower, following her wherever she went. That way, I would know where both she-cats were.

When they had both stopped, I swerved in another direction and headed uphill, closer to where the sun was rising. I looked around for something that would be useful to me, and found a massive boulder that was just the right size for me to be able to push. Carefully moving it into position directly uphill from where Poppypaw was stalking her prey, I took a deep breath. My mind was made up. With a mighty shove, I sent the rock rolling down toward Poppypaw. I watched and saw that she was just about to catch her prey. The rock rolled right over her, changing her from a bright, eager, night black she-cat to a lifeless lump of fur on the ground with one paw over a flattened piece of prey.

Hearing her mentor's horrified screams reverberate through the trees and inside my head made me realize what a mortifying thing I had just done. Feeling sick deep in my heart, I lifted my paw and dug my unsheathed claws deep into my own chest. I lost sight of a world of light in just a heartbeat.

**Well, that was my entry for SecretClan's "Crushed by Rock" challenge. This story actually made my heart ache as I wrote it, and I hope it had a similar effect on you, since it would mean that it "touched your heart" and whatnot. :) The minimum number of words was 800, and I wrote 1,223 words. :D**

**The challenge was created by SecretClan's own Ivy (Icefeather). :) She came up with Ravenheart (originally Ravensoul, but I asked to have it changed since I don't think cats know what a soul is and whatnot) and Poppypaw. The general theme was that the apprentice and his/her prey was crushed by rock intentionally and murdered. **

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading. :) Let me know what you think! **


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